


IN THIS ONE THEY'RE LESBIANS BECAUSE I SAY SO

by phaethon_path



Category: Waterfire Saga - Jennifer Donnelly
Genre: But whatever, F/F, Fluff, Help, I am SALTY, Like, Not Serious, Sorry Not Sorry, and honestly des is annoying, anything you can do i can do better~, at all, au where the permatuvi was never abolished, bc astrid is gay, i didn't proofread or edit this, i'm really annoyed, i'm still mad that astrid isn't a lesbian, like it took me five minutes, please don't be mad i wrote this on a whim, so it's probably really bad, soft mermaid girlfriends, they're gay because i say so, unapologetic fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-26
Updated: 2018-05-26
Packaged: 2019-05-14 02:14:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,322
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14760677
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/phaethon_path/pseuds/phaethon_path
Summary: lesbian mermaids. that is all.





	IN THIS ONE THEY'RE LESBIANS BECAUSE I SAY SO

Astrid huffs and flops onto her bed in the suite reserved for her, tail smacking against its side listlessly. She doesn't even feel the sting of it hitting the smooth, hard side of the huge scallop shell that is her bed and instead rolls onto her side with the intention for a nap. 

Her room is nice- much nicer than her own quarters in Ondalina. Ondalina prioritizes strength above all else, and her room might as well have been empty compared to this. All participants of the permutavi used this room- including her aunt, Sigurlin. She can barely imagine Sigurlin sleeping in this grand of a room. Everyone she knows from Ondalina are all hard shells and sharp edges. This? This is soft sea silk and open arms. Astrid shifts uncomfortably. The windows are too large for her liking. It feels like everyone can see her and attack. The heavy embroidered sea flax curtains are parted and gathered to the side by thick gold threads. Astrid momentarily thinks about pulling the curtains loose and concealing herself, but she's tired and worn out. 

The trip down to Miromara was full of boredom and sore tails from sitting on her hippokamp for so long. When they finally arrived, Astrid had immediately abandoned the procession that rode with her in favour for stretching out her tail by swimming several laps around the palace, and by the time her tail no longer ached and was nicely loose and flexible, she had swum herself ragged.

Princess- no, Queen Serafina herself had offered to escort Astrid to her room, but Astrid had refused. Even after the defeat of Abbadon, they had their differences. It had taken three hours of listless wandering before she finally, but begrudgingly, asked a servant for directions.

There's a polite-sounding knock at the door. Astrid slowly raises her head from where it's been, laying on the soft, somewhat ticklish anemones that coat her bed. She makes a feeble attempt at combing her hair with her fingers so at least she doesn't look like a complete mess. Her fingers catch on the braids on the sides of her head and she makes an annoyed grunt before giving up.

There's more knocking.

"Your Highness? Are you awake?"

It's the voice of an Miromaran servant. Astrid can tell by the slight lilt to their words. 

"Yeah, come in," she says, sitting up.

The pearly white doors open and a small fleet of servants rush in and form two straight lines leading into Astrid's room. Astrid has to stifle the urge to laugh. They look kind of funny, all in their uniforms, swimming over themselves to impress her. 

Then she realizes it's not her they're trying to impress at all.

La Serenissima Regina Serafina, queen of Miromara, swims into the room, copper-gold tail glinting from under her elaborate gown which is all lace and jewels Astrid doesn't know the name for. Her eyes are regal and kind, and her hair billows out behind her. Astrid remembers the first time she met Serafina, when her hair was still pixie-short and black as squid ink. The dye has washed out over time, her naturally light brown hair paling in the light. Her hair has grown out again, too short to be put in a bun, so it's knotted neatly in a braid that hangs down to the bottom of her shoulderblades. The Miromaran servants bow as she passes them. She gives them curt nods in acknowledgment. 

"Princess Astrid," she says once she reaches Astrid's bed. Astrid feels horribly underdressed in her simple gray tunic and seal skin jacket. 

"Regina," Astrid replies, trying not to sound as breathless as she feels.

"Leave us," Serafina booms. She sounds every inch the ruler she is. Astrid reels at the authority in her voice.

But wait, hasn't Astrid heard this voice before? When Sera so effortlessly commanded her troops in Carceron? When they had first seen each other and her anger sent chills down Astrid's back? When she gave her speech after the end of the long fight against Orfeo and Abbadon? Astrid finds herself realizing how much Serafina's changed (or how her view on the Miromaran has changed) from a frightened, despairing merl to a bold, courageous regina. 

As soon as all the Miromaran servants file out of the room, save the two Janiçari that stand guard by the door.

Almost immediately, it's as if Serafina has become older, somehow. Her head, formerly lifted high, drops. Her eyes cloud over with worry. Her shoulders fold in a little on themselves.

"Look," she says, as if about to try to poke at a razermouth. "we need to talk."

Astrid frowns.

"About what? Everything's been fine so far."

Serafina pauses. The next words come slow as she carefully picks them out.

"About what happened after we sent all those souls away. When we..."

"Oh."

Astrid knows exactly what Serafina is talking about. 

She's not quite sure how it happened, but she knows that one moment Serafina is smiling triumphantly at the cheers of the survivors of the Black Fin Resistance, and the next Astrid is swimming up beside her and ki-

Kis-

Kiss-

"There's no doubt about it. We, uhm."

Sera took a second to clear her throat.

"We had a moment," she finishes.

"Just say it, Regina," Astrid sighs. "We kissed. There, I said it. What about it?"

Serafina looks a little surprised.

Astrid scowls.

"What? It's not like I'm gonna pretend it never happened."

"Right."

The conversation falls flat after Serafina's response. Both mermaids refuse to meet the other's eyes. Astrid can feel the weight of the silence compassing the two of them lying heavy in the water.

Astrid doesn't remember exactly when it happened. All she knows is that it did. She'd never been really interested in mermen and had never understood the appeal behind them. Her first crush was on a pretty merl who briefly joined one of her classes. She only discovered the apparent wrongness in being with another woman when she was ten. Seven years later and she meets Serafina, who is angry and spiteful, but also so beautiful it makes Astrid's breath catch in her throat. 

At first, Astrid hated it. This was *wrong*, and Serafina was making her feel this way. She fought with Serafina to try and make herself forget those stupid fluttery feelings that bubbled in her stomach whenever their eyes met. The fact that there had just been an attempt on her father's life made it easier. She had left the Iele not only to escape the insane prophecy of theirs, but to also swim from the feelings threatening to consume her.

Over time, it had somehow grown into a kind of fondness for the other princess. The fondness grew stronger and before Astrid knew it, she was helplessly head-over-fins in love with Serafina. And that day, she had thought Serafina felt the same.

"If it means anything to you, I don't regret it," she says, slowly.

"Neither do I," Serafina says, finally lifting her green-blue eyes to Astrid's.

"So what now? We go on with our lives?"

Serafina seems to think for a moment, her brows furrowing and her eyes darkening.

"Yes. But I'd much prefer to spend mine with you."

Astrid nearly falls off her bed in shock.

"Really? Just like that?"

Serafina looks away.

"I mean... I like you. I'm not going deny it. And... you like me?"

Astrid lets out an exhaused sigh. She raises her arm to run her fingers through her hair, but drops it when she remembers the obstructing braids around her head. 

"Yeah. I do."

A slow smile spreads on Serafina's face, lighting up her features. Not for the first time, Astrid finds herself thinking about how beautiful Serafina is.

"But-"

"Yes? What is it?" Serafina looks concerned.

"You'd better treat me to dinner first, at least," Astrid says, grinning.

Serafina smiles.

"I can do that."

**Author's Note:**

> basically i was re-reading the waterfire saga because it's mermay and i got the feels and checked how many fics there were for it and   
> well  
> no offence but i was kinda disappointed.


End file.
